For each plan:- What are you required to contribute to it?- What can you optionally contribute

The current rate that is required for plan a is about 1.65% of my salary; this amount is set by the state investment board periodically and is relatively low right now mostly due to the extraordinary performance of the portfolio up until the year 2000---plan "b" required contribution would be roughly equivalent and the amount optionally contributed would be from 2.5% to 15% of my income depending on a number of factors (and once I made the choice it would be irrevocable unless I quit and later started state service again). We do have a 403b plan in place that we can contribute up to about 8000 or 15% of income (which I believe is changing to allow a greater amount and to allow "catch-up provisions". I haven't really contributed much to the 403b plan (mostly due to the markets and because my wife has a much better plan where she works, so we maximize the contributions there); and due to some large debts that I am working on getting rid of just havent contributed much.

Thanks for the information; I continue to be impressed with the quality of responses here--lurked around for a few years, then really didnt pay much attention, then when the opportunity came to get the charter membership I decided that this was the right time.